I call Deputy Marie Sherlock.

There is a reality for public health patients that they have less access to lifesaving drugs compared to private patients and patients in the North, the UK and other countries. We know that only about one third of medicines approved by the EMA ever get authorisation to go on the market and onto the reimbursement lists here. An EU directive is aimed at broadening access to medicines. In recent days, we have read that the Government has now done a U-turn and is opposing aspects of that important EU directive. I get that there are almost 50,000 well-paid pharmaceutical jobs in this country and that we need to look after those jobs. There is a reality as well, in that we are talking about people's lives here and their inability to access lifesaving drugs because they cannot afford to pay. There is a fundamental inequality in our health system. I want to hear an explanation from the Taoiseach as to why the Government is now opposing that aspect of the EU directive to broaden access to medicines-----

I thank the Deputy. I call the Taoiseach.

-----and why processing times are so slow. Will he commit to seriously ill people that we will ensure speed of access to medicines in this country?

Does this relate to the forthcoming EU pharmacy regulations?

It is the EU directive on medicinal products for human use.

I call the Taoiseach or the Minister, please.

The fundamental position of Government is in respect of supporting IP and the proper exploitation of intellectual property. We make no apologies for that and I never have. As far as I am concerned, we need to have consistent research in medicine and to facilitate, reward and incentivise investment in medicine. Otherwise, we will reduce the number of companies investing in such critical research. The industry in the European Union has, arguably, declined relative to the US and others because of a failure of investment in the fundamental EU pharmaceutical industry. There are some champions but not enough.

I thank the Taoiseach.

It is always a balance between the price issue and ensuring we have enough and a significant pipeline of medicines that dramatically change disease and improve treatments for disease. The vaccine is the most recent example of it.